1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an efficient method for using a single mandrel to make an integral double layer surgical glove having an indicator bulb that is adapted to warn a health care worker to re-glove in the event that the structural integrity of his glove is compromised by a puncture or tear.
2. Background Art
A rapidly growing problem facing surgeons and health care workers who treat high risk patients is contracting nosocomial infection of hepatitis, AIDS and other contagious diseases through punctured, torn or otherwise structurally compromised surgical gloves. In many instances where a sharp instrument such as a hypodermic needle cannula, scalpel, scissors, and the like, is used in an operating theater, the surgeon will accidentally puncture his glove. This penetration and the unsafe condition resulting therefrom often goes undetected until a surgeon removes his gloves at the end of the operation and discovers a collection of blood inside the glove. Should the patient being treated have a contagious disease, the surgeon will be exposed to the possibility of contracting the disease and to the potentially life-threatening effects thereof. Some surgeons are under the misconception that accidental punctures may be avoided by simply double gloving. However, as a consequence of the very sharp instruments being used in the operating theater, double gloving will offer the surgeon little extra protection against an accidental puncture and the risks inherent therewith.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/628,895 filed Apr. 9, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,752 which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a puncture evident surgical glove having an integral, non-obtrusive indicator bulb by which to accurately, instantaneously and visually alert a health care worker of the need to re-glove as a consequence of a compromise in the structural integrity of his glove as caused by a puncture or a tear. The puncture evident glove includes inner and outer elastomeric (e.g. latex) glove membranes that are spaced from one another to define an air flow path that is hermetically sealed from the atmosphere. An air permeable material fills the space between the membranes to preserve the air flow path therebetween. A flexible indicator bulb having a hollow body is sandwiched between the inner and outer membranes. The indicator bulb communicates with the atmosphere by way of an air exhaust tube. The health care worker will be readily able to determine the status of his glove depending upon whether the indicator bulb is compressed or inflated.
Although there are different methods possible for manufacturing the double layer puncture evident surgical glove described above, what is needed is an efficient, low cost method which is adapted to take advantage of conventional assembly line techniques to enable a large number of such puncture evident surgical gloves to be made in a relatively short time.